Implement for applying sealing-caps to vessels.



J. A. HICKS.

IMPLEMENT FOR APPLYING SEALING GAPS T0 VBSSELS.

APPLICATION PILBD HAYS, 1908.

953,017. Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

. E In} 4% I;-

l 5 I 3 B x WITNESSES: lA/VE/VTOR A TTOR/VEY the case may be,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIo JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS, 0F SUMMIT; NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AUTQ STOPPED COMPANY, or NEW YORK,

IMPLEMENT FOR APPLYING SEALING-CAPS T0 VESSELS.

Specification ot'Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application filed May 5, 1908. Serial No. 480,988;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN AtroUsTUs Hicks, a citizen of the United States, residin at Summit, Union county, New Jersey, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Implements for Caps to Vessels, specification.

. This invention relates to improvements/in implements for applying sealing ca s to ves sels, particularly to an implementor use in a bottle capping machine for applying a crimped flange sealing cap, such for example as the well known crown and seal cap, to the neck of a vessel to cover the mouth thereof, the object of the invention being to provide an improved implement for use on the resistance post of a bottle capping machine which implement durin the applying stroke thereof resulting 't i'om the movement of the implement toward the bottle orthe move ment of the bottle toward the implement, as initially gri s the cap at the point where the ridges oi the crimpcd flange thereof merge with the uncrim ed of which the ollowing is a "cylindrical portionof the cap and utilizes the resistance ofl'ered by such ridges to draw the cap over the mouth of the vessel, spread the cork wafer also over the mouth of the vessel so as to cause the same to form an effective seal between the cap and the vessel mouth and subsequently during the said applyin stroke traverses such ridges from their ses where they merge into thecylindrical-port-ion of the flange to their outer, lower ends where they terminate at'the edge of the flared crimped portion of the flan and in so doing bends such crimps inward y and under the head of the vessel neck and thereby secures the cap thereon so that the implement during its effective applyin stroke or movement first draws the cap an Appliying Sealing "perspective view of a sealing cap such as is apphed by means of my improved implement. Fi 4 is an elevation, showing the cap as app ied to a bottle.

This improved im lement is adapted for use in connection with bottle cappin machines such for instance as descrlbe and claimed in my copending application for Letters Patent of the United .States filed November 9, 1906, the caps being of that class provided with a flan e having a sub-. stantially cylindrical portlon and an 0utwardly flared orimped lower portion, of whichthe cap known as the crown and seal cap is a type. One of such caps is shown in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawing, A indicating the central portionof the cap which covers the mouth of the bottle, D the cylindrical or upper portion of the flange of the cap, B the outwardly flared lower portion of the flan 'e, which outwardly flared lower portion of the flange is crimped, the crimps being indicated at C and each comprisingra depressed portion C and a raised ridge portion C the said ridges of the crim s merging at their buses or inner ends in t 1e cylindrical portion of the flange and terminatin at their outer ends at the edge of the flare portion of the flange,

The body E of my-improved implement is here represented as cylindrical in form and provided at its upper end with a screw threaded stem M which is adapted to be screwed in a threaded opening in the lower end of the resistance post of a bottle capping machine, this construction enabling the implement to be readily attached to or de tached from the resistance post as may be desired and hence adapting tools which vary in size and shape to be used at will in connection with a single machine; In the lower side of the implement is a cylindrical recess' L, the interior diameter of which is just equal to the exterior diameter of the cylindrical portion D of the cap so that the cap when laced in the recess fits snutherein an hence the said recess owing to its restricted diameter resents an annular vwall or surface F whic surrounds'the cylindrical portion of the flange of the cap and initially engages and bears upon the bases of the ridges formed by the crimps of the cap flange. The lower edge of the wall of the recess L is rounded outwardly as at G and preferably corresponds with the flare of the crimped cap flange. said recess is such that the bottom'thereof at no time during the operationof the pler'nent comes in contact with any portion of the cap. Around the body of the implement is a casing J which is secured thereto and is split at a number of points from its lower edge to within a suitable distance from its upper edge, the splits being parallel with each otherv and forming fingers K, the said casing and its fingers being made of spring material, preferably, and the lower ends of the spring fin ers bein slightly flared or curved outward y and a a'pted when the cap is placed in the im lementrior to its application to a bott e to grip the crimped flange of the cap and coact with the recess L in'holding the cap in place in the implement. The cap has on its inner side the usual wafer, gasket or seal which may be made of cork or other suitable material and is here indicated at N.- The neck of a bottle is indicated at I in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the bottle The depth of the being provided immediately below the mouth with an annularcircumferential bead. on its outer side, this being the usual construction of bottles intended for use in connection with the cap, an applying stroke is given to the implement either by forcibly causing the implement to move toward the bottle or causing the bottle to inbve toward the implement. Owing to the fact that the diameter of the recess L is restricted so that it corresponds with the external diameter of the cylindrical portion of the cap flan e, the lower side or edge of the wall of saif recess imtially engages the bases of the ridges of the crimps of the outwardly flared cap flange thus centeringthe same and the first effect .of the applying stroke of the implement, owing to the resistance ofl'eredeby such ridges is to cause the cap to be drawn tightly over the mouth of the bottle, the strength of -the ridges being such and the resistance they ively spread and compress the sealing wafer over and about the bottle mouth so as to cause the wafer to effectually seal the cap and revent air from entering the bottle or gas rom escaping therefrom. It will be understood that this initial drawing action of the implement does not bend in the crim ed and flared portion of the cap flange. A ter the cap has been thus drawn on the bottle mouth and the wafer has been thus spread by the initial stroke of the implement the engaged wall of the recess of the implement traverses the ridges of the crimps from their bases where they merge with the cylindrical portion of the cap flange to their outer ends which are coinc'identwith the outer edge of the flange and in so traversing such ridges, the engaged wall of the recess forces such ridges and hence such crimps'inwardly, disposing the ridges in line with'the cylindrical ifiortion of the cap flange and forcing the epressed portions of the crimps inwardly as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, thereby causing the crimps of the cap flange to be bent inwardly under and into engagement with the bead of the vessel neck so as to secure the cap in place.

My improved implement distinguishes from implements heretofore used in connection with crimp edged bottle caps in that, owing to the restricted diameter of its rein common use for this purpose usually en-.

ga e the crimps at or near their lower edges and only for the purpose of bending them inwardly under the bead of the bottle neck. At no time during the operation of my improved implement does the bottom. of the recess come 1n contact with the cap, the ripping. of. the implement at the bases 0 the crimp ridges being all that is required to draw the cap over and fit the sameso snugly on the bottle mouth that the cap is cause to conform exactly to the shape of the bottle mouth. Owing to this drawing action of my improved implement not on y .is an important advantage gained in intimatelyfitting and drawing the cap over the mouth of the bottle, but I am also enabled to gain an important advantagein that by thus drawing and fitting the cap on the mouth ofthe bottle before .bending the crimps" of the flange under the bead of the bottle, such drawing action on the cap also causes. the wafer to be s read and to act more efliciently as a sea than heretofore. In actual cess, the wall of such recess initially en ioo than have been heretofore \necessarily used, thus eti'ectmg a very considerable economy asgwlll be understood.

a Ally improved im lement erforms two functlons, first, 1t

raws an fits the cap over the mouth of the bottle b initially engaging the bases of the cap ange crim s. Secondly, after having thus drawn and tted the cap on the mouth of'the. bottle my 10 implement during the concluding orti'on of the same ap lying stroke bends t e crimps inwardly under and en ages them with the bottle bead. The last tunction only, so far as I am aware, has been heretofore performed by implements of this class.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. A11 implement for ap lying a cap having a crimped outwardly aring flange to a vessel having. .a bead extending around its neck, said implement having a substantially cylindrical recess of a size and shape to receive and closely fit the upper portion of the flange of the cap and restricted inv diameter to present a surface to initially engage the bases of the ridges formed by the crimps,

and by pressure thereon draw and fit the cap over the mouth of the vessel and subsequently by traversing such ridges bend the crimps inwardly and under into engagement with the bead of the vessel neck.

2. An implement for applying a caphaving a crimped outwardly aring flange to a vessel havmg a bead extending around its neck, said implement having a substantially cylindrical recess of a size and shape to receive and closely fit the upper portion of the flange of the cap and restricted in diameter to present a surface to initially engage the bases of the ridges formed by the crimps and by pressure thereon draw and fit the cap a substantially cylindrical recess ofa size and shape to receive and closel fit the u per portion of the flange of t e cap an restricted in diameter to present a surface to initiall engage the bases of the ridgesv forme by the crimps and by pressure thereon compress the gasket u on and about the u per portion of the vesse mouth, draw and t the cap over the vessel mouth and subsequentl by traversing such ridges bend the clamps inwardly and' under into engagement with the bead of the vessel neck.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 4th day of May 1908.

JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS.

Witnesses LINCOLN A. STUART, N. P. BARR. 

